The 49ers and Colin Kaepernick have a big Seattle problem–and it’s getting worse

SEATTLE—There is Kaepernick Kryptonite, and suddenly it was everywhere on Sunday, dressed in blue and neon green.

The Seattle Seahawks defense swarmed Colin Kaepernick, it hit him, it flustered him and eventually it humbled him completely on the way to an avalanche 29-3 Seattle victory.

Against every other team, the 49ers and Kaepernick have rambled up and down the field with abandon and confidence.

But not Seattle, the team that blew out the 49ers in the second-to-last weekend of 2012 and then did it again on Sunday.

Nobody makes the Kaepernick-Jim Harbaugh 49ers look pedestrian and nervous on offense… except the Seahawks, who use speed on the outside and a very physical secondary to push around the 49ers.

Nobody else turns Kaepernick into a non-factor. Nobody else does this–and both teams know that NFC West supremacy could be decided this.

If you can knock around the 49ers and Kaepernick, why aren’t you the new divisional top dog?

“We’re not going to win games if I play like that,” said Kaepernick, who completed only 13 of his 28 passes for 127 yards and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns.

“When we got down, you have to try to make plays. There were a couple balls where I tried to force in there, try to get something going.”
And, most significantly, nobody other than the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens have beaten the Harbaugh 49ers twice in a row… except Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks.

There is clearly a problem here for the 49ers. They struggle against Seattle generally and they really struggle when they play the Seahawks in the deafening din of CenturyLink Stadium.

The bad part for the 49ers is that their offense keeps getting smashed by the Seahawks—can’t run, can’t protect the QB, can’t get their receivers loose.

And the really bad part for the 49ers is that it’s getting worse each time.

With the exception of some strong defense early on against the Seahawks, the whole 49ers team got bullied on Sunday, and needed the quarterback to save them.

He didn’t. And the 49ers got demolished, then totally lost their composure in the later stages as the blow out went on.

“Well, certainly not proud of the way we played tonight, or coached,” Harbaugh said. “Wasn’t our finest hour.”

In last year’s loss up here, Kaepernick was 19 for 36 for 244 yards with a touchdown and an interception—a 72 passer rating, which, until Sunday, was the lowest rating of his starting career.

On Sunday, Kaepernick, with a career-worst three interceptions, had a 20.1 rating.

The truth is, the 49ers needed a massive game out of Kaepernick tonight, and they didn’t get anything close.

Kaepernick threw a key interception in the first quarter at the Seattle goal-line on a tipped ball he tried to force into Vernon Davis, and Kaepernick looked skittery throughout.

Many other things went wrong, and Kaepernick certainly wasn’t the only problem or close to the worst performer.

But Kaepernick looked more scattered and flustered than he ever has an NFL starter, and it was right from the start, as the 49ers went to a no-huddle offense and tried to race to an early lead.

“I don’t think any of us are real proud of our performance tonight,” Harbaugh said when asked about Kaepernick’s performance in particular.

Is Seattle, which also played the 49ers tough in a close 49ers victory at Candlestick last year, a problem for the 49ers?

Are the Seahawks–who come to Candlestick in December for the rematch–the one team the 49ers can’t figure out?

“They’re a good football team,” Harbaugh said. “I give them a lot of credit, they played very well tonight.”

The 49ers struggled before the hour-long weather delay in the first quarter, and even more afterwards.

Kaepernick was under constant pressure, couldn’t get it to Anquan Boldin, who caught 13 passes in Week 1 but only one on Sunday.
And the 49ers couldn’t find anybody else, either.

“There were a couple times we did some things—just stalled,” said Kaepernick, who also lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. “I don’t think it was something they did, we just didn’t perform.

So in Kaepernick’s QB tenure, the 49ers have destroyed Green Bay twice, beat up New England, gone up and down the field on Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game, and ran up 463 total yards even in the Super Bowl loss to Baltimore last February.

And they are 0-2 against the Seahawks, scoring a total of 16 points in the two games.

Why do the 49ers struggle so much specifically and only against Seattle?

“We did not play nearly good enough—facts are stubborn things,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what took place.”

Of course, the 49ers lost 42-13 up here last year, and still went to the Super Bowl a few weeks later.

Is that what Harbaugh told this team after this game?

“Gotta bounce back—we’ve got to bounce back in a big way,” Harbaugh said.
They don’t play Seattle for a while, so the 49ers have plenty of chances to bounce back. And to get ready for their next game against
Seattle, which is the one team that has humbled the 49ers.

Which makes all the difference, at least if and until the 49ers can figure this out.

Coverage????!!! They grabbed are receivers, just like Green Bay used to last decade.

Ouch!

The niners running game is non-existent. It almost cost them against the packers and it definetly cost them last night. Why they stick with gore, why they waste downs by running up the middle for no gain, i can’t say. I hear that gore is a great team mate and locker room leader… but his lack of speed/power is clear to everyone but harbaugh. Not good, if your best runner is your quarterback.

Mark M

Relax folks. Cheer up. The Hawks got us in their own yard and deservedly so. We have things to work on but the good news is that the Defense appears to be strong again. We gave up a total of 290 yards despite the offense doing nothing all game with multiple turnovers to boot. Wilson was harassed nicely and Lynch was just OK really. I’ve been waiting for this since last year’s late season collapse. This is a significant improvement, even if it didn’t lead to a win.

It’s early and there is time and reason to believe this team will improve dramatically. The talent is there. Offensively, we need a real running game more than anything. But recent history suggests this can be addressed and turned around. All is even if we beat the Hawks on grass, in one of the last games ever played at the Stick, with the momentum leading towards the playoffs in a late season division game that could decide the West if we take care of our business between now and then.

James

Go Seahawks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr D

Some factual errors I noticed in some posts. First Atlanta didn’t come into Seattle & kick there butts, Seattle went to Atlanta, during divisional play-off game, Wilson a lead a last minute scoring drive, only to have the Clemons-less defense( out with a season ending injury), allow a few completions, allowing Atlanta to get a field goal as time was about to expire. Sherman was not punished for Adderall,he missed no games.
As far as not having Kap running more, look at Vick & RG3, there not going to last long if you have to run to win, keeping a D honest or an important drive alive is one thing, but because the rest of the O can’t get it done, that how these guys end up watching from the bench in street cloths

Garrett

The Niners fans on this board are actually some of the more realistic, level-headed bunch I have seen. I was expecting a lot of denial and whining, but there is some good analysis and soul-searching. Hopefully, Harbaugh and the coaching staff are as astute in their analysis and they make the necessary adjustments. See y’all in December. Go Hawks!

SFFranciscan

@DSuave

It’s only a rivalry if both teams are equally strong and testing each other, and that’s just not the case here. It’s one thing to lose back to back games, quite another to get absolutely hammered–twice. Last year was easy to ignore (late season game, nothing real on the line) but yesterday can’t be excused or rationalized. They had six months to figure out a plan to attack that Seattle defense and they had nothing: pathetic game plan and pathetic preparation. Now we can talk about game time adjustments….

The 49ers will not beat the Seahawks in the playoffs in Seattle, and I doubt they can beat Green Bay at Lambeau, at least in January.

So there is little margin for error already, only two games in. And the fact that Harbaugh looked as clueless as Kaepernick with that much time to prepare? For almost the exact same defense they saw last year? Not good, Dirk.

Realize you love The Boy Genius. So please explain to us how he could screw up so badly on Richard Sherman….

If you coach an All-Pro talent for years in college, a kid who was a starter from Day 1 in the NFL, shouldn’t you know that all along? But the BG seems to have spent months before that first draft simply bad-mouthing Sherman throughout the league. Again, not good; in fact, EPIC fail.

Why do I get the clear sense that Sherman is going to make our boy pay for that arrogance for years? No doubt Lil’Jed can explain this all away in his money-lined bubblecar weaving down 101.

But those Williams’ fumbles, the choke on 1st & Goal on the 5…I get the sinking feeling those were your good ‘ol days of the Harbaugh Era. Justin Smith isn’t getting younger, neither is Frank Gore.

Tank Carradine, Marcus Lattimore anyone?

1st down on the 5…that fiasco is going to haunt any fan of this team. Think Walsh and Montana would have scored? Kaepernick last night looked utterly lost from that first interception on. Time to stop the commercials and win something that matters….

REALLY

Was waiting for someone to come out with the Adderall comment. Every team in the league has had a player that broke the rules. Even the 49ers. Give the Hawks some credit for getting out there and doing what they needed to do. As for the noise in the stadium, well both teams have to deal with it. Just the Hawks do it better. The Hawks have come a long way over the last 3 years and I hope they show well over the season with the changes and additions. Kaepernick is a great quarterback, but maybe instead of working on his image, he should get back to football and focusing on the game vs his image.

Allen

@Shaun from Seattle.

us and we…

What number do wear cause I don’t see a “Shaun” on the roster…

@ Garrett…

Not really a big time niners fan but yes, there are some people out here who know football… or pretend to.

Can’t wait for December 9th…

Channing

Let’s not over-react people. It’s game two. It was in the rain, where bad turnovers happen. The Seahawks only scored 3 points on offense the first half, so the storm affected them too. There are 14 more games to work on the problems, penalties, turnovers. The 49ers Defense looked effective. Special teams blocked a punt. It’s not the end of the world to lose a tough road game in Week 2, to see how good they have to play to compete for the Playoffs.

Kaepernick got them to within 1 play of winning the Super Bowl. He’s not the problem.

G Turner

Sadly Frank Gore’s best days are gone. He’s still pretty good going up the middle through a big hole but quickly runs out of gas and lacks mobility to cut after the 5 to 10 yard burst. Power runs up the middle with minimal blocking result in just a yard or two at best. Gore is a fullback type back (now an obsolete position), not a mobile, fast half back. Time to retire.

Jesse

Let me remind everybody that no team in the history of the NFL is unstoppable. Bill Walsh lost games, Siefert lost games, MOOCH lost games, Montana lost games and Young lost games. Seattle is the loudest and toughest place to play period. The fans treat their games like college kids. They sit there and just yell nonstop. Beating a team like Seattle in Seattle is just too much for this young QB at this stage in his career. All the so called 49er fans that are bashing this team are not real 49er fans. They are just loudmouth bandwagon blowhards with nothing but kick’m when there down rhetoric. This team is going to smash Seattle at Candlestick and go onto with the SB. I am a true 49ers fan.

DSuave

SFF I am in total agreement that the Niners missed on not taking Sherman. Plus Browner didn’t play. Makes what was witnessed even more special. Seattle was without their #2 CB and Harvin. Plus others but those two are huge. This game was tight til midway when some TO’s went Seattle’s way. All the while the Niners kept shooting themselves with bad penalties. Seattle is young and has all the ingredients just like the Niners. New age QB with gobs of potential. Franchise RB and top tier defense. Plus very young. When healthy this team can play with anybody. At home they can crush anybody.
And to the poster that said the NFL should hand out penalties for loud home crowds? Are you serious? They tried that years ago. Didn’t work and the NFL realized that they probably shouldn’t bite the hands who buy the tix. Cheer loud. Cheer proud.

Steve

Norvet: The NFL TRIED to legislate and penalize fan noise out of the game in the 80’s, thanks to Seattle and the noise we created in the old concrete blister (Kingdome). Every time they threw a flag on us we just got louder, until they finally gave up. Crowd noise is a part of the game, and we do it really well in Seattle. Instead of complaining about the noise, show up at Candlestick (Or whatever name it is now) and get loud for your team… Seahawk fans feel it is our duty to show up at work on Monday with no voice. Perhaps other teams fans should do the same.

mike mc reynolds

Should’ve had the same refs they had against Packers. Two years in row refs make a mistake that costs Packers the game. Oops sorry. Too coincidental!

I am a Hawks fan, and I have to confess to being disturbed by what I saw last night. WAY too many penalties – something Coach Carroll spends a lot of time hammering on the players about. Yet they still happen, and worse, some of them were downright stupid. If I were a coach I’d install some sort of “Stupid Penalty” tradition to discourage them. Also didn’t see any well-oiled, non-penalty impacted drives by either team. It looked like a race between a Model T running on three cylinders and a mule train being driven by a drunk skinner. Neither team showed any systematic consistencies. The strongest performance on the field took place while the Seattle D was out there.

The future doesn’t look bright for either team unless they can get their offenses into some sort of rhythm and not have to depend on serendipitous refereeing.

Fredfootball

Any day San Francisco looses is a good day!

Peter M

The demi-God Kaep… might have been given his golden throne a little too soon. He has a problem handling BLITZES and 4 man fronts with athletic linebackers. He’s going to have a hard time against the Rams as well. Teams will figure this out real quick.

Harbaugh is turning out to be blowhard clown. He lost faith in Alex Smith. And when he did that a sizeable amount of 49er fans lost faith in him…

Harbaugh we trust is DEAD…

monthlypro

congrats seahawks, woulda been nice to have a niner win, but thats the way it goes sometimes.. the niner d has to not give up those 80 yard drives if they wanna win the whole shabang this year, otherwise, play the season and try again next year…

anotherhawksfan

The refs were terrible and inconsistent but the Seahawks made adjustments and knew they would get away with more stuff.
The delay benefited the Seahawks because that allowed them to make offensive adjustments (less throwing by Russell Wilson).

The adjustments plus the sound frustrated the 49ers and caused them to fall apart at the end. Composure was the difference. The 49ers lacked that in the end. Otherwise it would have been a much closer game.

Lucien

Relax!!!! Sometimes game plans do not work out plus gotta give credit where credit is due. Seattle played a great game and stuffed the niners. Simple as that. Teams adjust and tweak plays as the season progresses. the dangerous teams are the ones that peak going into the playoffs not the ones that start out hot. Yes Seattle has a great Defense however we will see how they play at the end of the season. Remember the Giants???? They sucked most of the season but figurd things out and the end and got 2 championships the last 10 years. To be honest I love to have a team to hate that is your rival. Makes the games instense. Go 49ers!!!

AK

Oh my god. you guys act like these ball games somehow have impact your lives. You don’t own the teams. You don’t play on the teams. Get a life.

Rich.Bich

Alex Smith beat Seattle on it’s own turf more than once. So yeah it is a Kaepernick and 49er problem, never an Alex Smith problem.

NWCommenter

Here’s the issue: Seattle has a better team. Period.

NWCommenter

Oh I forgot… GO HAWKS!

Jake

Seahawks are definitely faster, more sure of themselves on astroturf and at home. Last year, the 49ers offense was reportedly tipping its plays somehow and I don’t think that problem has been fixed. Commit 5 turnovers against a good team and you will lose. I am worried that Gore has just lost a little too much speed. The 49ers miss both Crabtree and Manningham. Bad loss, but plenty of time to straighten things out. With Ck’s cannon, the 49ers need a deep threat who can stretch the field and add that dimension to their offense – I also liked the post about switching to the no huddle to change the pace …

jared

God I love reading you winers two about how crapy your 9rs are! To fun! Your niners arnt that bad guys,the Hawks are just that good. see you at candlestick park…hold on to your candlesticks boys your guna need it!

miguel

I haven’t seen any evidence that Gore has slowed down. There are no holes for him to run through. GB stacked their defense to stop the run. Seattle has beat S.F. twice in a row at their stadium. They haven’t beaten S.F at the Stick forever. The folks who are criticizing Cap and Harbaugh are pathetic. Alex Smith? Give me a break!

Deuce

I was at the game and it was epic! Needless to say I’m a lifelong Hawks fan. Kaep looked nearly as lost and overwhelmed as he did last time he came up here. He’s a talented QB, but he’s got a “Seattle problem” that he’s nowhere close to dealing with. Unfortunately for the Kaep, the 9ers and their fans this isn’t even the best version of the Hawks you’ll be seeing this year. By the time your home game vs the Hawks rolls around we’ll have a rested and ready Harvin, Clemons and Irvin for you to deal with. I might just have to fly down for that game…thanks for keeping the NFC West crown warm for us, we’ll be taking it back now. Go Hawks!!!

Deuce

I was at the game and it was epic! Needless to say I’m a lifelong Hawks fan. Kaep looked nearly as lost and overwhelmed as he did last time he came up here. He’s a talented QB, but he’s got a “Seattle problem” that he’s nowhere close to dealing with. Unfortunately for Kaep, the 9ers and their fans this isn’t even the best version of the Hawks you’ll be seeing this year. By the time your home game vs the Hawks rolls around we’ll have a rested and ready Harvin, Clemons and Irvin for you to deal with. I might just have to fly down for that game…thanks for keeping the NFC West crown warm for us, we’ll be taking it back now. Go Hawks!!!

Thankfully there are some well thought out comments here….but then they digress.

Both sides in every game get some bad calls, or missed penalties,get a grip, both sides had calls that were deeply impacting on their performance. For instance, before the delay due to insane lightning and thunder, there was a penalty when a play was blown dead by a whistle that everyone heard but the play continued anyway as though the whistle never happened. Things happen.

Seattle was missing many of its key personnel, just the same as the 49ers. If anything, Seattle was missing even more than San Fran.

What is sad is that for some, what is overlooked is the class and integrity of the game where there was poor behavior on both sides of the ball, but what was inexcusable was that Kaep couldn’t remain professional enough to even shake hands at the end of the game, to tell the world he’s a man of honor and sportsmanship, good or bad the outcome. He leaves the field! No excuse for that behavior as things went both ways for both teams in that game.

The the Harbaugh doesn’t even acknowledge someone that used to play with him. Again, its petty and unprofessional and doesn’t reflect any class to take your medicine and be a class act regardless.

I find this sort of behavior inexcusable for any team. When are they going to be adults that take wins and losses with a piece of humble pie and realize that every play in football there would be a penalty?

About performance enhancing drugs? It is a matter of time before everyone sees dirty laundry as many people do on every team, don’t act elitist, it is sadly about how good the attorney is about keeping the information private. We have Hall of Fame people that do the unthinkable and they aren’t held accountable. Football has digressed and I hope in my lifetime it gets some honor and integrity back.

Dan Hammack

Well Carolina just humbled Kaepernick also, and I’m going to go so far as to suggest that once you get inside Kaepernick’s head he’s done.